US to sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia in $24.3 billion deal

Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg News on Sep 17, 2026

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WASHINGTON — The State Department notified Congress that it plans to sell Saudi Arabia up to 48 F-35 warplanes in a first-time sale that could be worth as much as $24.3 billion.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” the State Department said in a statement.

The sale of the Lockheed Martin Corp. fighter jet to Saudi Arabia has been in the works for a number of years.

Israel, which operates the jets and has flown them in combat missions, has expressed concerns about the possible sale — the first to a Middle East nation other than Israel.

President Donald Trump signaled in November the U.S. would sell F-35s to the Kingdom, offering Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a prize he’s long cherished, ahead of a visit to the White House that month.

F-35 aircraft are the world’s most advanced jets, and the Saudis have long wanted them, according to officials familiar with the negotiations.

The F-35’s advanced technology is also one reason why the deal may be challenged. Saudi Arabia has deepened ties with China in recent years, and there are concerns that selling them to Riyadh could allow Beijing to end up gaining access to some of the most sophisticated American military systems.

“Saudi Arabia and China have a history of security cooperation, including combined military exercises,” said Justin Leopold-Cohen, a research analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “That should be a deal breaker for Washington, as it could lead to exposing the planes to unnecessary risks.”

Under American law, Israel is also guaranteed weapons needed to maintain its “qualitative military edge” over Arab nations. U.S. officials have said they can provide that assurance regardless of F-35 sales, without specifying publicly what they would offer Israel.

“We should always be a few rungs above. And if they give them the F-35, we’ll get the B-2, for argument’s sake,” Eli Cohen, a member of Israel’s security cabinet, told Channel 14 in November, referring to the stealth bomber used by the U.S. to attack Iranian nuclear sites in June.

The “Israeli edge must be preserved and insisted on,” he said.